Improvement in self-feeding stoves



Z Sheets-Sheet 2. L. B. WOOLFOLK. SELF- FEEDIN'G STOVE.

' Patented M 25, 1876.

No.17Z.817.

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PATENT Orrrcn.

LUOIEN B. WOOLFOLK, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN SELF-F E EDlNG STOVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,817. dated January 25, 1876; application filed February 15, 18 5.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LUGIEN B. WOOLFOLK, of Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self-Feeding Stoves, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists, first, in constructing a chamber at the top of the stove with inlet and outlet, for receiving and discharging into, the smoke-escape any gas leaking around the valve-plate; secondly, in an improved construction of the magazine, by which a regular and sufficient supply of fuel for all weathers is fed to the grate, and for preventing the passage through the magazine of any draft; thirdly, in an improvement in the construction of the grate for securing a radiant heat; fourthly, in improvements in the gratebottom, and parts connected therewith, for regulating the draft.

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the center of the stove. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken through the line 1 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through the line 3 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the stove. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the ash-plate and the supporting-plate upon which it rests, showing the slot and hole by which the ash-plate is moved. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the upper part of the stove, taken through the center, showing a modification of the arrangement of the gas-chamber, constructed above the valve-plate that closes the magazine-pipe. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same, taken through the center, showing another modification of the gas-chamber.

A is the outer case of the stove, consisting of the several sections A A A A A B is the magazine-pipe for containin'gfnel.

It is attached air-tight to a downward-projection of the top section A and is a solid pipe,

I construct, additionally, a gas-chamber, A in a separate section at the top piece of the stove, for the purposes hereinafter mentioned.

0 is the burner, attached to the bottom of the magazine-pipe, with the joint either open or made tight with cement. The burner G is narrowed toward the bottom, for the purpose of sustaining the fuel in the magazine. It. is constructed with grate-bars or fingers, the better to induce the combustion of the fuel it contains.

E is a valve-plate, fittingair-tight, which closes the top of the magazine-pipe and prevents any draft therethrough.

A is a gas-chamber constructed above the valve-plate E, for the purpose of catching the gas escaping from the magazine-pipe around the valve-plate E. The top of the gas-chamber A is covered by the valve-plate G. On one side of this gas-chamber A is an air-inlet passage, a, while on the other side is the outlet I), through which the gas passes to the smoke-passage I.

The essential features of my invention are the solid magazine-pipe B, attached to the top section of the stove A by an air-tight joint, and closed at the top by the valveplate E, which prevents the circulation of any draft through the magazine. The gas will thus leak around the valve-plate E. To catch this gas and prevent its entering the room where the stove stands, I construct the chamber A above said valve-plate, having an inletpassage, a, and an outlet-passage b, which latter communicates with the smoke-escape.

The various parts of my present invention may be variously modified in detail without departing from the true principles thereof. The smoke-escape I may pass either through the top of the stove, as in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 6,

or it may pass through the side of the stove.

L L are the lower doors of the stove, working upon hinges M. These doors are provided with sashes, into which are fitted mica plates. Upon these doors L are cars N, and a hole for enabling said doors to be opened by a hook or other means.

L L are the upper doors, fitted up and worked in like manner.

0 is the grate, resting at the top upon an sage of air between the grate and the stove, the better to promote the consumption of the gas in the fuel. The bars of the grate extend high up toward the top of grate, which is wider at the top than at the bottom, by reason of said bars converging from the top downward.

This arrangement allows of the emission of a radiant heat through the large lower doors of the stove, and also allows the air to pass through the bars, as well as through the fluted air-passages around the grate, instead of through the fuel from the bottom.

P is the grate-bottom, ha ving a hole through which the ashes and einders fall. The gratebottom P rests upon the collar Q, which is supported by the arms R.

Beneath the grate-bottom P is the ash-plate S, which is worked back and forth by the pin 0, attached to the grate-bottom P, and fitting into the hole at on one side of the ashplate, as shown in Fig. 5.

To allow of the free movement of the ashplate by the shaking of the grate-bottom P it is pivoted in a slot, 6, in the supportingplate T.

The hole cl is placed on one side of the ashplate S, in order that the movement of the grate-bottom 1? may remove the ash-plate entirely from beneath the hole in the grate-bottom.

The ash-plate would work as well as if the hole d were slotted.

I prefer to place the slot in the supportingplate J only, because it is less liable to be obstructed with ashes.

The hole cl might be placed in the middle of the ash-plate instead of on one side.

This arrangement, however, is not of such advantage as that previously described, and shown at Fig. 5, inasmuch as the ash-plate could not be so readily removed from beneath the hole in the bottom of the grate-bottom P.

The grate is agitated by an iron rod passed through a slotted hole, V, into the hole fin the grate-bottom P.

The slotted hole V is closed by the segment U, which is provided with a hole, through which the rod may pass. The rod is hookshaped at one'end, for use in openin g the doors and for removing the valve-plate E.

One great advantage of my improvement is the closing of the magazine-pipe, so as to ex elude all drafts therefrom.

In the ordinary methods of construction holes are left therein for the escape of gas. Through these outlets a continual draft is created from the fire through the magazinepipe B, thus carrying off a considerable portion of the heat, and causing a large consumption of fuel without advantage.

This draft through the magazine-pipe involves many disadvantages. the contraction of the size of the pipe, which, in turn, feeds to the grate a supply of coal from its narrow mouth insufiicientfor cold weather. Then, when more coal is raked out, not being pressed downward by the flow from the magazine, it accumulates and forms clinkers,which become very troublesome, and finally extinguish the fire.

By making the magazinepipe gas-tight and covering the top, so as to stop all draft therethrough, it may be so far enlarged as to contain an ample supply of fuel, and have the mouth large enough to feed it into the grate in sufficient quantity, and keep the clinkers pressed downward toward the bottom of the grate, where they may be regularly discharged without embarrassing the grate. At the same time no heat ascends the magazine-pipe. All

the heat arising from the combustion of the fuel passes outside the pipe, and is utilized for heating the room.

This construction I am enabled to adopt with such improved results by constructing the gas-chamber A with its gas-outlet b above the valve-plate E, through which the gas escaping around the valve-plate E passes into the smoke-passage I.

I am aware that magazine-pipes have heretofore been constructed with a gradual enlargement from the top; and I am also aware that fire pots have been constructed with. grate-bars, or extending downward, and con-. tracted at the bottom. I therefore lay no claiin to either arrangement, broadly consid-. eret The following is claimed as new:

1. The combination, with the grate O, hav-. ing grate-bars extending very high up, and gradually spreading outwardly from the bot-. tom, where they are narrower than at top, of the grate-bottom .P, pin 0, ash-plate S, hole (1, supporting-plate T, and slot 0, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the grate-bottom P, of the ash-plate S, pivoted in the slot (2 in the supporting-plate T, and worked by the pin 0, in the manner set forth.

3. The burner O, contracted toward the bot-v tom, and having fingers to promote combustion, in combination with the magazine-pipe. B, expanding from the top down to point 0 and having the flare c at bottom, and the top section A, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the magazine-pipe B and section A, having air-inlet a and gasoutlet 12, constructed and arranged substantially as set forth.

L. B. 'WOOLFOLK. Witnesses:

OHAs. GIBsoN, H. HARDESTY.

It necessitates 

